In a significant step, the United States announced an immediate pause on issuing worker visas for commercial truck drivers. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the announcement on X on Thursday, citing
safety concerns and the need to protect American jobs.
In a post on X, Rubio wrote, “Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers. The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.(sic)”
This decision comes days after a deadly crash in Florida involving a truck driver of Indian origin. Harjinder Singh allegedly caused a fatal crash by making an illegal U-turn, leading to the deaths of three people in a minivan. The Department of Homeland Security later revealed that Singh was in the US illegally and was arrested on three counts of vehicular homicide.
What’s Next?
The State Department later confirmed it was suspending the processing of these visas to conduct a comprehensive review of its “screening and vetting protocols”.
Officials stressed that the pause applies to all nationalities and is not targeting any specific country.
Foreign truck drivers typically work under the H-2B visa program, the Hill reported.
So far in the 2025 fiscal year, 1,490 of these visas have been issued, up slightly from 1,400 last year.
The pause could worsen the truck driver shortage in the US. The American Trucking Association estimates a current shortfall of around 60,000 drivers.
According to federal statistics cited by news agency AFP, the number of foreign-born truckers doubled between 2000 and 2021 to to 720,000, now making up 18% of the industry.
In June, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reinforced the requirement that all truck drivers must speak English, citing safety concerns over drivers’ ability to read road signs and communicate effectively.
Many foreign drivers in the US come from Latin America, India, and Eastern Europe, particularly Ukraine.
